An article in Forbes suggests that people without Facebook accounts may be viewed with suspicion. This is based, largely, on: a Slashdot story (flagging a German news story), a woman who wrote to an advice column, and anecdotal evidence of job seekers and employers wondering aloud "about what it means if a job candidate doesn’t have a Facebook account".

The Forbes author says:

The idea that a Facebook resister is a potential mass murderer, flaky employee, and/or person who struggles with fidelity is obviously flawed. There are people who choose not to be Facebookers for myriad non-psychopathic reasons...

but then goes on to add:

But it does seem that increasingly, it’s expected that everyone is on Facebook in some capacity, and that a negative assumption is starting to arise about those who reject the Big Blue Giant’s siren call. Continuing to navigate life without having this digital form of identification may be like trying to get into a bar without a driver’s license.

OK. I buy some of this. It is the 21st century after all. Most people have a cell phone, a home computer, some sort of web presence. If you don't use the technology, people wonder about you, just as (back in the 20th century) they would wonder about you if you didn't have a television, a telephone, a bank account or a drivers' license.

Great – so here we are again. More evidence that to “fit in” you have to do what everybody else is doing. It’s just another variation of the idea that you must conform to extrovert standards to be considered “normal.” And that bugs the hell out of me.

As an Introvert myself (and a huge fan of social media) I'm offended by this summarization.